Return of the Fallen Volume 11 Chapter 138
“This, it’s one of my brother’s rings!”
Samuel recognized his family’s insignia on the ring immediately and held up the ring on his finger next to his brother’s ring to show everyone they were the same image.
“Only me and my brothers have this exact ring. Father has…had a similar one but. Viz, where did you get my brother’s ring?”
Viz looked over at his servant.
“Gider, show them.”
“Yesss Massster.”
Gider took a step forward and waved his hand over the table. Right after a body came out of his ring and landed with a low thud on the table.
It was a corpse of an old woman dressed in a maid outfit. When Samuel saw this person, his eyes widened and he swallowed hard.
“This woman apparently arrived in Gauldriss late last night. She had looked for you at your old shop but when she didn’t find you there she questioned a few people in the city. That exposed her to hidden dangers. Most likely it was Signy. Gider had been keeping a lookout for anything suspicious and arrived too late. When he saw the ring she wore, he knew for certain there was a connection to you Samuel. By your expression, you recognize this woman.”
Samuel had a weary look.
“Yes, she is my third brother’s maid. She helped raised him since he was a baby and had never left his side. Third brother was the kindest to me out of everyone and no doubt it was Maryln here who taught him this kindness.”
Samuel gently held the woman’s hand, a tear ran down his cheek.
“She was always kind to me and treated me as if I were her own. For her to end up this way…Damn it all.”
Kazuki looked the woman’s body over, she had several cuts here and there. Many defensive wounds.
“She fought hard and in the end, she was looking to you, most likely to do her duty one last time and deliver your brother’s ring to you. She was fateful to the end and has fulfilled her role. Her death was not in vain.”
Samuel nodded before carefully picking her up and carrying her outside where he buried her.
Later on, everyone returned to the office and the mood was somber. Samuel did not even bother to sit at the table with the rest of the group and instead sat quietly on a couch positioned in front of a fireplace. He constantly spun the ring in between his fingers as his sight wandered to the flickering flames in the fireplace.
Viz didn’t care much about some servant’s death and continued once Samuel had returned.
“Gider, tell them what you told me.”
“Yessss Masssster. After looking into thingssss, I have found that a rumor hasss sssstarted to ssspread. A shipment of Infinity Bladessss are to be moved one month from today. The final sssshipment.”
After Gider said this Viz took over. He was in a terrible mood.
“Before our ventures have even started, the expert craftsman who made these weapons for your family has decided to cut the dealing short. Obviously, because of the declining Cortails in the world. In the eyes of this hidden expert, such a deal with your family will result in nothing but loss. Still, it seems he is willing to give you the last of his stock due to obligation. Does everyone understand what this means? Samuel do you get the current situation!?”
Samuel remained quiet and Viz was starting to grow pissed.
“HEY, BRAT! YOU DARE IGNORE A GOD!”
Viz sent out a fraction of is power and Samuel immediately felt a tremendous amount of pressure and found it difficult to breathe but still, he remained quiet. Kazuki sighed inwardly before stepping in between the two.
“Viz, this solves nothing. Are you really going to hold this against him when he’s just found out about his brothers and the woman he just buried? He was already grieving the loss of his father before but now with his brother’s personal maid coming here and dying, it means his brother is gone as well. Just as we come together and there seems to be an ounce of hope, things are ripped away from him. Cut the boy some slack.”
Viz glared at Kazuki but Kazuki just remained calm.
“Viz, are ya really angry at a mortal child for being sad and grieving?”
Marty’s words seem to prick something inside viz and he pulled his power back.
“Jentson, Marty, you two deal with the brat. I have other important things that require my attention.”
Viz stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Now Gider was still in the room and it became slightly awkward.
“I…Alsssso have thingssss to do. I ssshall take my leave.”
Gider then disappeared with a gush of wind.
Kazuki and Marty both shared a look before they walked over to Samuel. Kazuki sat down next to Samuel while Marty just plopped down right beside him shaking the whole couch. She had no subtlety whatsoever but she didn’t care. She threw an arm around Samuel’s shoulder and just started talking.
“Samuel, ya know we may not particularly be close but we are comrades so if there’s something ya wanna say then just say it. I’ll hear ya out ok?”
Samuel didn’t say anything. The ring still twirling between his fingers as he stared through the flames, lost in his own thoughts.
Once again Kazuki and Marty shared a look before Marty sighed.
“Family…It’s a tough thing. I have…I had a brother but he died long ago and it was my fault. All I ever wanted was to help but it was my help that ultimately caused his death.”
Samuel finally looked away from the fire.
“You caused his death?”
Marty grit her teeth before nodding.
“In a way yes it was my fault. Because of his death, I felt guilty for a long time. I felt sad and angry and just mostly confused as to how it all could have happened the way it did and how it all turned out that bad. When ya lose someone ya care about, things just don’t seem to make much sense at the moment but later on…It does get better. I’m not saying you’ll ever stop feeling a certain way just that the way you feel so strongly now…It will fade somewhat. Day by day it will hurt less and less. Sometimes it will flare up again as if it were fresh but eventually even those flare-ups will smooth over time. It doesn’t mean you no longer care about those ya lost. It just simply means ya can shoulder it more and that means you have grown as a person.”
Marty looked at Kazuki at this moment and for a split second, it seemed like these words were meant not only for Samuel but for him as well. Kazuki said nothing as she was trying to comfort Samuel but he did not need such words.
(To lose the ones you care about. To accept that is one thing but that feeling, I will never forget it. I will never bury it nor let it go.)
Samuel’s lost look changed and softened.
“Thank you for your words, Marty. What you say makes sense but for now, all I can do is hide these feelings away. If I don’t they will cloud my judgment and cause my own downfall. When Adigus is dead and all of my enemies are no more, only then will I allow the floodgates to open. Only then will I allow myself time to grieve and feel. Until then, I must remain focused and sharp, and together we will overcome all obstacles.”
After he said that, Samuel stood up and headed for the door.
“Where are ya going?”
Samuel stopped at the shattered doorway.
“I’m going to apologize to Viz. He is an important ally and I acted unprofessionally at a time when that is not acceptable. We all need to be on the same page and we need to hurry up and come up with a plan if we are to get the remaining Infinity Blades.”
“Remaining Infinity Blades. Your talking about the last shipment from the expert.”
Samuel nodded with a fiendish grin.
“Yes. I feel this may be an opportunity. Gider already said it, the rumor of the last shipment coming in a month. For now, that rumor is nothing but imagine if we make it grow.”
Marty was dumbfounded.
“If a did that wouldn’t it attract every faction in Gauldriss? The fighting, it would erupt into pure chaos!”
“Exactly. Adigus will no doubt be enticed to take over the shipment, finish the last heir of the Cortails, me, and take all of our business in one fell swoop. What a perfect place for an ambush. Except it will not be us being ambushed.”
Samuel said all of this before tossing his brother’s ring to Kazuki.
“Sir Jentson, take a look inside, that ought to fatten up our war chest don’t you think?”
After that Samuel left to go find Viz.
Kazuki removed the protection from the ring and took a peak inside before a large grin covered his face. He couldn’t help but be impressed with Samuel.
(How can a child his age be so resolute and clever?)
Comment (0)